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Pintados Festival

The Pintados Festival is a cultural-religious festivity celebrated
annually on the 29th of June in Tacloban, Leyte. The festival is
based on the traditions of the ancient tattooed “pintados” warriors and in
honor of Sr. Sto. Niño.

The Pintados Festival recalls the pre-Hispanic
history of the native Leytenos and showcases the cultural heritage of the
people of Leyte by incorporating native music and dances. The word “pintados”
refers to the body tattoos of the native warriors which represented courage and
beauty.

When the Spaniards came to Visayas in 1668, they
found heavily tattooed men and women whom they called Pintados. In the 17th
century, the friars banned the use of tattoos branding the practice as savage
and evil. In 1888, the missionaries from Spain brought the image of the Child
Jesus that was known as El Capitan to
the island. The Leyte natives were drawn to the story of the Child Jesus and
became devotees and worshipers of El
Capitan.

In 1986, the businessmen and entrepreneurs of Tacloban, Leyte
founded the Pintados Foundation Inc. They began organizing religious cultural
activities for the city fiesta in honor of the Sto. Niño. Former Leyte governor
Remedios Loreto-Petilla spearheaded the festival which was first celebrated on
May 12, 1996. In 1999, the celebration was moved to June 29 in honor of the the
Señor Santo Niño de Leyte.

The highlight of the Pintados Festival is the parade of street
dancers who are covered from head to toe in painted designs that represent the
tattooed warriors of the past. The parade traditionally begins at the Balayuan
Towers and proceeds throughout Tacloban, Leyte.